Nucleus Colonies

What is a nucleus colony?

Nucleus colonies are one way to start a hive and are available in the the late spring and early summer months. A nucleus colony, or a “nuc” as most of us call them, consist of 4 to 5 frames of comb with bee brood, bees, and resources. They come with a queen, but not all nucs are alike- some have queens that will need to be caged for a few days and others come with their own established queen. My nucs will have their own established queens who have been with the hive for 3 to 4 weeks.

Nucleus colonies are the best way to begin beekeeping because they have all they need to get started, just add the equipment and you're set to get started. The nucs you purchase from me will need to be moved into their new full-sized homes as soon as possible, and may need additional feeding if the weather isn't great and honey combs need to be drawn out by bees their first year.

Please note: These are domestic honeybees and will need to be maintained, which means that you are responsible for the health and well-being of these animals while they are in your care. I cannot be responsible for lost hives when they have not been properly cared for. That being said, I am always available for questions, and will replace any queens who are not laying well or show any signs of problems for the first 6 weeks after purchase.

My stock includes bees raised from mite-tolerant queens that I’ve purchased from other queen breeders, plus my own queens selected from colonies that have successfully overwintered 2 or more years. My selection criteria include the following: Varroa sensitive behavior (meaning the bees will detect and remove mites in capped brood), those who display no signs of disease or pathogen, overwinter well, build up well in the spring, produce enough honey to harvest, and are gentle enough to work without a suit or gloves. I have apiaries in several locations in Marin and Sonoma counties in many different types of local bee habitats.